Haulage system.



PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

HEDGE. HAULAGE SYSTEM. APPLIOATION rum) JUNE 10, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F W W (Jamm No. 810,731. PATENTED mmzs, 1906. ELEDGB. HAULAGE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2" 9/98 fnomea EVAN DER EDGE, OF RUSKIN, NORTH CAROLINA.HAU LAG E SYSTE M.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1906.

Application filed June 10, 1906. Serial No. 264,633.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EVANDER EDGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ruskin, in the county of Bladen, State of North Caro lina,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Haulage Systems;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same. This inventionrelates to hauling systems, and more particularly to systems of thiskind employing elevated tracks, and has for its obj ect to provide sucha system including a main track and switches which will be provided withmeans for directing cars from the main track to the switches, this meansbeing movable into and out of operative position.

Another object is to provide a hauling system of the driven-cable typewhich will in clude means for disconnecting the cars from the cable whenthe cars have reached the switches upon which they are to be directed.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following secification, which describes an embodiment o the present specification.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the tracks of the systemconstructed in accordance with the present invention and showing aswitch. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionof the track, showing one of the supporting-uprights in side elevationand illustrating the trippingfinger. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3,taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2 and showing the means for raisingguide-rails. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the car, a portion thereofbeing broken away to illustrate the grip. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectionof the car, taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view showingthe angle-lever in side elevation.

Referring now to the drawings, there are shown a pluralit ofsupporting-uprights 5, having horizonta cross-arms 6 at their upperends, these arms having upwardly-extending brackets 7 at their outerends. The brackets have upwardly-directed fingers 8 at their upper endswhich are spaced longitudinally of the cross-arms, and these fingersreceive wires 9, occupying a common horizontal plane and forming therails for a track 10. Located at the ends of this track there are Idrums 1 1, with which are engaged the looped ends of a cable 12, rails,one of these upon the shaft 12, band-wheel l3, wh

extending between the drums having mounted by which it is carried, a ichreceives an actuated belt 14. It will be understood that both of thedrums are revoluble.

A car 15, having peripherally grooved wheels 16, is disposed with thetracks 9 engaged in the grooves of its wheels, and this car has adepending block 17 secured thereto, which extends downwardly between thetwo portions 12 and 12 of the cable 12. Depending from the car at theopposite side of the portion 12 of the cable from the block 17 there isa pivotallymounted stud 18, in which there is engaged a strap s ring-arm19, which extends longitudinally of the car. At its end which liesadjacent to the block 17 the spring 19 is provided with a block 20, andthe spring is movable with the stud 18 to bring the block 20 into andout of engagement with the portion 12 of the cable oppositely to theblock 17, and it will be understood that by exerting outward lateralpressure against the outer end of the strap-spring the cable may beclamped between the blocks 17 and 20, which thus act as a grip. To holdthe spring 19, with its block 20, in operative position against thecable, an angle-lever 21 is pivoted to the car and has an upperhorizontal arm 22 and a lower vertical arm 23, and the outer end of thestrap-spring may be engaged with the arm 22 to hold this spring, withits block,

in operative position, and it will be seen that a the angle-lever may bemoved upon its pivot to release the spring 19.

A switch 24, including rails 25 and 26, lies adjacent to the main track10 and has movable rails 27 pivoted to the ends of its rails 25 and 26,and these rails 27 are connected at their free ends by a cross-brace 29-and are movable upon their pivots to lie at times above the rails 9 ofthe main track and at times at one side of the main track and upon asupport 29.

Guide-rails 30 are provided, each consistin of a tread portion 31,having depending si e flanges 32, and these guide-rails lie normallyupon the rails 9 with the rails 9 between their flanges, the ends of theguide-rails being beveled to lessen the jolt as the cars pass thereover.These guide rails are located forwardly of the points upon the rails 9above which the free ends of the rails 27 rest, and the rearward ends 30of the guide-rails 30 may IIC be raised to meet the free ends of therails 27, as shown. At their ends 30 the rails are connected by means ofa cross member 33, to which is secured the upper end of a vertical rod34, forming the shaft of a jack 35,'pro vided with an actuating-lever36, and it will thus be seen that by means of the jack the rearward ends30 of the guide-rails 30 may be raised and lowered.

One of the cross-arms 6 is located just forwardly of the guide-rails 30,and an upwardlyeXtendin finger 37 is carried by this crossarm and Iiesin the path of movement of the vertically-extending arm 23 of theanglelever 21, and the arrangement is such that a car moving rearwardlyover the rails in the direction of the switch brings the arm 23 of itsangle-lever into engagement with the finger 37 to release the spring 19,and thus disconnect the car from the cable.

In use a plurality of cars are employed in connection with the systemembodying the present invention, and the system includes'a number of theswitches 24, the rails 27 lying normally upon the support 29 and theguiderails 30 being normally in their lowered positions. When a car isto be directed onto a switch, the rails 27 are moved to lie above therails 9 and the guide-rails 30 are raised.

A car approaching the switch over the main track 10 first has itsgripping mechanism released by the finger 37 and then passes to theswitch, as will be readily understood. The fingers 37 may be located indifferent planes transversely of the track for the different switches,and the angle-levers 21 of difierent cars may be correspondinglypositioned, so that the gripping mechanism of certain cars will bereleased only at certain switches.

What is claimed is 1. In a system of the class described the combinationwith a main track and a switchtrack, of rails pivoted to the rails ofthe switch-track for movement to lie at times at one side of the maintrack and at times above the rails thereof, and guide-rails disposedupon the rails of the main track and adapted for vertical movement atone end to bring said ends into and out of operative relation to thepivoted ra'ls for the passage of a car from the main track to thepivoted rails and the switch-track.

2. In a system of the class described the combination with a main trackand a switchtrack, of pivoted rails communicating at one 5 5 end withthose of the switch-track and movable to lie with their other ends attimes above the rails of the main track and at times out of suchposition, vertically-movable guide-rails arranged to lie at times whollyupon the rails of the main track and at times at one end only thereuponand with their other'ends in alinement with the pivoted rails and meansfor moving the guide-rails.

3. In a system of the class described the a finger located adjacent tothe switch and adapted for engagement of the spring-holding means tomove the latter into inoperative position.

4. The combination with a car, of a cablegrip therefor comprising a asprin -arm pivoted between its ends to the/ car, a b ock carried by oneend of the arm and arranged for cooperation with the firstnamed block toclamp the cable therebetween, an angle-lever pivoted to to receive theother end of the spring thereagainst to hold the spring with its blockin clamping relation to the first-named block, said angle-lever beingmovable upon its pivot to bring its arm out of engagement with the 0spring. In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

EVANDER EDGE.

Witnesses:

J. S. WILLIAMSON, J. M. CLARK.

and engaged with the cable, 70

depending block,

the car and arranged

